The Dream Lover

By: Elizabeth Berg

Narrated by: Emily Sutton-Smith

Length: 12 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's Summary

A passionate and powerful novel based on the scandalous life of the French novelist George Sand, her famous lovers, untraditional Parisian lifestyle, and bestselling novels in Paris during the 1830s and 40s.

This major departure for bestseller Berg is for listeners of Nancy Horan and Elizabeth Gilbert.

George Sand was a 19th century French novelist known not only for her novels but even more for her scandalous behavior. After leaving her estranged husband, Sand moved to Paris where she wrote, wore men's clothing, smoked cigars, and had love affairs with famous men and an actress named Marie. In an era of incredible artistic talent, Sand was the most famous female writer of her time. Her lovers and friends included Frederic Chopin, Gustave Flaubert, Franz Liszt, Eugene Delacroix, Victor Hugo, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and more.

In a major departure, Elizabeth Berg has created a gorgeous novel about the life of George Sand, written in luminous prose, with exquisite insight into the heart and mind of a woman who was considered the most passionate and gifted genius of her time.

©2015 Elizabeth Berg (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Better than I expected from other comments.

I read critical reviews about the narrator, but the story was in first person about George Sand, who described herself in the book as having a flat and unemotional voice. I decided the narrative was perfect for the character.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

A Worthy Few of an Artist

I devoured this book. I haven't read Sand's books, but I've been intrigued by her for a long time. I'm practically devout on Chopin, so it was interesting to read her side of the story.

This was a well done, imaginative look into how it all could have happened, I felt like a fly on the wall. This book is an excellent example of show / don't tell. Glad I didn't wait too long to read it.

Even today, I see women hesitating, holding back, doing and saying what is "expected" rather than what is in their hearts, simply because they are afraid. I'm astounded and amazed at Sand's bravery. I'm in love with the French, yet again. They completely embraced her. And the author clearly gets the inner turmoil of the writer/ artist. Oh to have been in that set, and to write to that music live.

I'm not much of a Balzac fan, but Hugo is near the top of my list. Guess I need to read Sand to see if what they say is true.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

George Sands of Dream Lover-Bold and Beautiful

I did not know of George Sands. Now I have listened and been taken alongside her life. The story just flowed and unfolded. It was warmly narrated as I felt the teller was relating the quite emboldened woman's antics just to me. Quite a story! I enjoyed knowing about her relationship to Frederick Chopin.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

The Dream Lover

A beautifully written, poetic story about a woman who chose her destiny and lived life to the fullest. Thoroughly enjoyable, if you enjoy historical novels this is the one to read.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Just Me or Is The New Writing Style Plotless??

I've always loved Elizabeth Berg's writing.

Unfortunately, with The Dream Lover, not so much.

But it may be me, because this is the second novel I've quit after partially listening to. I did give it about 6 hours of listening but found my mind wandering.... there was plenty of great descriptive prose, good dialogue, but where the heck the story line was supposed to live, was beyond me.

(Again, like in The Night Circus, lots of writing, no conflict. At least not early enough into the book to hook me beyond 6-8 hours of waiting. Waiting... for some element that held the flashbacks to the childhood of George Sand and her present day goings-on to make me want to see what happened next.)

Some of the inner thoughts Berg writes for Sand are a little predictable. Thoughts about womens' rights, etc. But humans are more complex that the standard current PC about issues with which we still concern ourselves today. (It seems I'm running into far too many books that expose an historical character thinking in today's terms, when I'm sure that some flaws must exist in their souls...Or the author, in a rush to prove they themselves are not biased, refuses to interject any controversial viewpoints into the protagonist, even if historically reflective of the book's time period.) Anyway.

If this book picked up after I put it down, apologies. But my brother once told me that life was too short for bad books. So, whereas in the past, I drudged through a book because I hated the waste of an author's time, since they even managed to get a book written and published, I now hate the waste of my time even more.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Elizabeth Berg writes Another Winner

This is not Elizabeth Berg's regular style but I loved it as I have loved everything she has written. I listened to most of it and read a little. The Audible version is outstanding.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Beautiful Dreamer...

If you could sum up The Dream Lover in three words, what would they be?

STRENGTH, PASSION, COURAGE

Who was your favorite character and why?

GEORGE, OF COURSE (who else?)

Which character – as performed by Emily Sutton-Smith – was your favorite?

GEORGE??? This is who the book is about!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

NO, JUST HAPPY TO SEE SHE IS FINALLY BEING ACKNOWLEDGED.

Any additional comments?

EXCELLENT READ, A VERY INTERESTING WOMAN IN HISTORY, WHO, IF YOU HAVEN'T COME ACROSS YET IN YOUR READINGS, IT'S TIME TO NOW!!!!
READ IN AN EVENING, THE BOOK JUST SEEM TO "FLOW..."

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Just can't get through it

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I usually love Elizabeth Berg but try as I might, I cannot get through this book. My mind wanders, I had trouble keeping track of the characters and the era. I restarted the book from the beginning 3 times and still I can't get through it. Perhaps I will try it in print.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Couldn't get to it.

Was The Dream Lover worth the listening time?

No

1 of 3 people found this review helpful

Loathesome

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Nothing

Would you ever listen to anything by Elizabeth Berg again?

I usually love books by Elizabeth Berg. This books was awful.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The subject matter was so horrible the narrator could not do anything to improve the book.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Not. A. One.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful